William j



w; J..HU BER. FIFTH WHEEL.

(No Model.)

No. 479,56 3. Patented July 26, 189-2.

5440mm F07, Jifab r wwwooea UN iTE STAT S ATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. HUBER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-TI-IIRDS, BY

MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE ST.

COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

LOUIS CARRIAGE MANUFACTURING FIFTH-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 479,563, dated July 26, 1892.

Application filed March 8, 1892- Serialllo. 424,136. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM J. HUBER, of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Iin provements in Fifth-Wheels, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to improvements in fifth-wheels; and it consists in the novel arrangement and combination of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter described, and designated in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sec- I 5 tion of my complete invention, showing the several parts composing the invention united. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the plate which is secured to the axle-bed and upon which the upper circular plate is adapted to rest; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the reach-iron and the plate which is carried by the axle, showing the said parts detached. Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the front axle, 2 the axle-bed, which rests upon the upper surface of the said axle, and 3 the head block of the vehicle, upon which is mounted and secured the spring 4 in the Wellknown manner.

5 represents a plate, which is detachably secured to the under surface of the front block 3 by means of clips 6, and to the ends of said plate and preferably formed integrally therewith is an upper circular plate 6, forming a bearing for theremaining parts of the device, as hereinafter more fully described.

At the median portion of said plate 5 and projecting therefrom in rear of the front block3 is an extension (5,within which is formed a conical-shaped socket 7, which is in communi- 0 cation with the circular opening 8 of such a size as to admit the king-bolt 9 when the parts are desired to be permanently united.

10 indicates a metallic plate, which is secured to the upper surface of the axle-bed 2 by means of clips 11, which clips not only secure said plate in the manner stated, but also unite and hold the several parts, as hereinafter described. Formed integrally with the plate 10 and located at the ends of the same are bearing portions 12,the curvature of which conforms to the shape of the upper circular plate 6 and upon which the said plate is adapted to rest and receive the weight 1mparted upon the same.

In Fig. 2 I have shown a better illustrat on of the plate just described, and by referring particularly to said figure it will be seen that the same is provided with a rear centrally located extension l3,which is provided with two projecting conical extensions 1 1 and 15, which project in opposite directions and are located on the opposite sides of the said extension.

16 represents a vertical circular opening, which is formed in said conical-shaped extensions, which passes through the entire metal at that portion, the size of which corresponds to the size of the opening 8, formed in the extension 6, formed in the plate 5, through which opening the king-bolt 9 is also adapted to be passed in a manner as shown in Fig.

To the lower surface of the front axle 1 s secured another plate 17 by means of the clips 11 previously referred to, holding said plate, plate 10, axle 1, and axle-bed 2 in rigid connection with one another. The said plate 17 is provided. with a rear extension 18, which is centrally located or formed with the same intermediate of its length, the length of which corresponds to the length of the extension 13, formed on the plate 10. vThe said extension 18 is provided with a downwa rdly-projecting conical-shaped extension 19, and through said extension and also said extension 18 is formed a vertical opening 20, the size of which corresponds to the size of the king-bolt 9, and through which the same is adapted to be passed.

21 represents the reach, which extends from the rear portion of the running-gear and is attached to the fifth-wheel in a manner as I shall now proceed to describe. To the upper surface of the said'reach is secured the upper reach-iron 22, which is formed in such a shape as to come in movable connection with the parts, as hereinafter stated. The upper portion of the said reach-iron is provided with a conical-shaped socket 23, and

leading from the said socket and in communication therewith is a circular vertical opening 24, through which the king-bolt 9 is adapted to be passed. The conical-shaped exten S1011 15, formed on the extension 13 of the plate 10, is of such a size as to snugly fit in the said socket 23, formed in the reach-iron 22, and when said parts are united, as shown 1n Fig. 1, a movable connection is had between said parts.

25 represents a brace, which is secured at one end to the median portion of the circular plate 6 of the fifthwheel by means of a bolt and nut 26, forming a rigid connection at that point. The said brace 25 extends downwardly, then horizontally, and the opposite end is attached to the under surface of the reach 21 by means of a bolt 27, passing through the same, through the reach, and also the upper reach-iron 22, uniting the three parts rigidly together.

28 represents an upwardly-proj ectin g extension, which is formed integrally with the said brace 25 and a little forward of the reach 21, and said extension is provided with a conicalshaped socket 29, which is adapted to receive the conical-shaped projection 19, formed on the extension 18 of the plate 17, acting as a pivotal point to the lower portion of the fifthwheel.

30 represents a vertical opening, which is formed in said brace and also said extension 28, formed with the same, and is in communication with the said socket 29, through which the king-bolt 9 is also adapted to be passed after the parts have been properly set up and perfectly operative.

When it is desired to release the parts, all that is necessary is to release the brace 25 from the circular plate 6 and also remove the king-bolt 9, which operation is very simple,

By inspecting the drawings in the description heretofore given it will be readily understood that the king-bolt 9 may be entirely dispensed with and is merely employed as an additional means of securing the several parts together and prevents any twisting of the said parts which might occur should the same be dispensed with. It will be further seen that all wear and strain is entirely removed from the king-bolt and the same imparted upon the conical-shaped projection and conical sockets heretofore referred to. Another and very important point to be considered is that all wear is constantly taken up by the conical-shaped projections and sockets employed,and consequently the rattling which is common in fifth-wheels is entirely dispensed with by the simple and effective mechanism above stated.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. As an improvement in fifth-wheels of the class described, the combination, with the head-block, axle-bed, axle, and reach, of a plate 5, secured to the head-block and carrying the circular plate 6, said plate 5 being provided with a rearward extension 6, having in the under side of its free end a socket '7, a plate 10, secured to the axle-bed and provided at its ends with bearings 12 and centrally with a rearwardly-projecting extension 13, carrying upwardly and downwardly projecting extensions 14 and 15, respectively, a rearwardly-projecting plate 17, provided at its free end with a downwardly-projecting extension 19, a reach-iron 22, provided in its upper end with a socket 23, a brace 25, provided with an upward extension 28, formed with a socket 29, the free end of said brace being bolted to the circular plate 6, and a king-bolt 9, passing through the bearings of the plates 5, 10, and 17 and the brace 25, all arranged and adapted to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A fifth-wheel having plates, such as 10 and 17, attached to the axle and axle-bed, respectively, the upper of which is provided with two conical-shaped projections projecting in opposite directions, a downwardly-pro jecting conical-shaped extension formed on v the lower of said plates, a brace carried by the reach and provided with a conical-shaped socket adapted to receive the lower of said conical-shaped projections, a reach-iron secured to the upper surface of the said reach and provided with a conical-shaped socket which is adapted to receive the downwardlyprojecting socket carried by the plate 10, and a plate 5, secured to the front block 3 and provided with a conical-shaped socket adapted to receive the upper projecting conical-shaped extension carried by the said plate 10, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WVILLIAM J. HUBER. Witnesses:

C. F. KELLER, ALFRED A. Eroxs. 

